I co-founded Dara, the second-hand clothing marketplace for Cebu, and I write some of its guides to thrifting in the Philippines. I also founded Siguro, a studio that designs and builds websites and go-to-market work for software teams, and I have spent the last decade taking projects from first sketch to production.
Culture · September 7, 2026 · 12 min read
Thrifting is sold as the sustainable choice. In the Philippines the picture is more complicated: ukay-ukay is also how rich countries export their fashion waste. Here is what the numbers say, and what buying second-hand in Cebu actually changes.
Selling · September 7, 2026 · 14 min read
A ₱5,000 bale, about 150 pieces, roughly 90 of them sellable. Here is the whole arithmetic of an ukay stall in Cebu, where to buy the sack, how to get legal, and what to do with the good half.